


and if i hesitate? what then?

by yadoiangel



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: And We Only See One Side Of It, But also, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Non-Linear Narrative, Olympic Village Shenanigans, Pining, Sleeping Together, Thomas has a kid, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:13:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27044800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yadoiangel/pseuds/yadoiangel
Summary: 4 times Inunaki Shion resigned himself to pining for Tomas Adriah, and 1 time he did something about it.
Relationships: Inunaki Shion/Adriah Thomas
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43





	and if i hesitate? what then?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [findaffodils](https://archiveofourown.org/users/findaffodils/gifts).



> Here's a wholeass fic from [this](https://open.spotify.com/track/0cKmKdqFYY3C6bnBGrGwNc?si=qVAF8FxqQl6JA7HYUaYbMQ) song, and while I was tagging this I realized I've spelled Thomas' name wrong in the entire fic so I'm just standing by it at this point because ~~this has been so delayed already.~~ Enjoy!

The ball hurtled past Tomas’ block at a frightening speed, aiming right at Inunaki. Unfortunately for the libero, he was a beat too slow for it. He watched as the volleyball—in his slowed down perception—hovered towards him, and just as his synapses decided to move, he was hit squarely in the nose with the thing.

The loud clapping sound of a ball hitting skin was not unusual to the inhabitants of the gym, but their libero getting a bleeding nose because of a hit to the face was. He was propelled backward by the force, and his teammates gathered around him, some laughing and some with looks of concern.

“Wan-san! Are you okay? What happened?” Hinata was the first to bombard him with questions.

“Inu-san, you’re usually so fast! That ball look like it hurt! That happened to me too…” Bokuto followed up, making the libero’s head hurt.

“I’m so sorry Wan-san! I wouldn’t’ve spiked so hard if I thought ya were off yer game!” came Atsumu’s high pitched voice, the whiny dumbass.

“How about y’all help me up first?” he said to them, his voice nasal with the blood he could already feel seeping out.

“What happened, Shion? I thought you had that? I would’ve done a block-out instead if you would’ve just said anything,” Tomas told him, pulling him up with one arm, and Inunaki only grimaced.

He hoped the bleeding nose and possible concussion was enough of an explanation for the face, but he could already see Sakusa smirking at him and readying to say something.

“Got distracted, Inu-san? That’s so unlike you. Did something catch your eye?” Sakusa asked from a distance, his hands crossed in front of him.

“Just something on my mind. It’s fine, Adriah,” Inunaki reassured the middle blocker while simultaneously flipping Sakusa the bird.

“Why don’t I go with you to the clinic? I can even carry you if you want?” Tomas offered with a grin, obviously joking, but Inunaki only felt his heart skip a beat at the thought.

He was getting real sick and tired of this. It was getting really inconvenient too, how just seeing Tomas doing the most mundane things would once again bring up feelings that he’s been trying to get rid of for the past three years. The oblivious idiot walks into the training area with his usual smile and it was like Christmas came early for Inunaki with the way he’d immediately feel simultaneously giddy and restful, with the way he’d immediately want to be close next to him, with the way he wanted to do more than just give a high-five or a nod to him. It’s been three years, and still Inunaki was unsuccessful with the way he dealt with these emotions.

Maybe he’d finally take Sakusa’s bet and just confess…

“So what got you to freeze up like? I never saw you do that before,” Tomas asked idly as they walked, and once again Inunaki was reminded of that first meeting—the one he was thinking about when he saw Tomas going up for the block, the one that flashed before his eyes in reminder, the one that _shouldn’t_ have been on his mind because it was distracting and it had already caused a bleeding nose, but hey, for the past three years, denial and avoidance never worked so why should he expect it now?

~~~

“Oh hey! You’re Inunaki-san, right? Our new libero?” Tomas greeted him on his first day with a loud but mild voice, making everyone else in the room turn to look at them.

“Yeah I am, and you are?” Inunaki asked with an expectant raise of a brow, never one to shy away from attention.

“Adriah Tomas, middle blocker. But you know that, don’t you?” he answered with such a genuine smile that Inunaki couldn’t help but smile back.

“Let me introduce you to everyone,” Tomas offered, and while Inunaki would’ve usually been a little shit to a goody-little-two-shoes like Tomas, that first smile sent his way prevented him. He may be a little shit, but he wasn’t provoking without a reason. Instead he diverted his energy to everyone else on the team, ribbing Barnes for being too tall and Meian for letting Tomas do his job; basically being his normal self to everyone—except Tomas.

~~~

“Nothing. I just zoned out, dude. Is that so hard to believe?” Inunaki answered flippantly.

“Yeah, but _why?_ You don’t do that,” Tomas pushed, jostling the shorter man a little bit.

“How’d you know that’s not something I do, huh? Know everything about me now, Adriah?” Inunaki teased, jostling right back.

“I thought I did, but I guess not,” Tomas said thoughtfully, and just like that Inunaki’s teasing was set aside because of the taller man’s genuinity.

 _Fuck you,_ he thought bitterly, but even he could tell it had no real bite. Really, that initial meeting should’ve been his first clue that things would be different with the middle blocker, but his attention wasn’t on that. After all, he _had_ just gotten into a V. League division 1 team so close to the start of the season, and he needed all the training he could get.

“Why don’t you get to know me more during dinner?” Inunaki offered with a grin, because by now he liked to make himself suffer so why not go all in?

“As if you even have to ask, Shion,” Tomas answered with a chuckle, and they reached the clinic.

Inunaki really had to do something about this, if only to avoid future injuries. Only… how would he make up for the expected injury to the heart when he does?

* * *

Inunaki would never admit it to himself that it took almost a year for him to realize that what he felt about Tomas was not something a regular teammate would feel about another—but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

Things progressed like normal, or as normal as he could judge, for that first season. As his first professional volleyball season got closer, he pushed himself more than he’s ever pushed himself before. He could be found training even when it was supposed to be their day offs, and no one could dissuade him. He knew he was pushing himself too hard, and he got so bad that Meian had to intervene. Inunaki only had to tell him he felt like he had to put in the effort _for the team_ in his most convincing, innocent voice, and, being a volleyball idiot himself, Meian let him be. What he didn’t expect was his captain assigning him a babysitter in the form of Tomas.

Tomas being in charge of his training was the first situation he attributed his descent into sappiness to. Whenever they trained together, Tomas never nagged at him like he thought he would—he actually even helped with defense. It made sense, he supposed, since they _were_ going to be working close together on the court. He never thought anything out of the ordinary of it, until a few sessions in and Inunaki found himself looking forward to their time together.

“Okay, that’s enough for today, Inunaki,” Tomas called out to him from the other side of the net.

“Fine,” Inunaki mumbled below his breath, but with them being the only two in the gym, Tomas heard, if only barely.

“You did real great today. I think you’ll be fine with the season,” Tomas continued conversationally, making his way to the benches where they left their bags.

“Yeah? Aren’t you just a year older than me? Forgive me if I don’t trust that assessment,” Inunaki shot back, toweling off his hair.

“Fair point. How about we go eat dinner and I’ll tell you about my first season?” Tomas offered, “After we shower?” he added.

“What?” Inunaki intelligently asked, staring at the taller man.

“Shower. Then dinner. I’m starving,” Tomas said over his shoulder pleasantly, already making his way to the shower rooms.

“Uhh, sure,” Inunaki continued with his staring. This sounded suspiciously like a date to him, and he was more surprised to discover that he was less opposed to it than he expected, finally identifying the rushing giddiness he was feeling as anticipation.

“Huh,” he said to himself, then decided not to think too much about it, finally picking up his own gym bag and making his way to the showers.

That first dinner was _not_ a date, Inunaki told himself, and so were the succeeding nights eating out. Tomas was true to his word, telling tales of his first season; how he was also so frenzied to train— _But still not as much as you are, Inunaki,”_ —how he was so nervous for that first game the team dropped the first set before he got it together, how the hardest part for him was the away games because he still wasn’t used to other stadiums. It was exactly what Tomas said it was: teammates discussing games and strategies and experiences… so Inunaki didn’t understand his disappointment when it was just that.

“Call me Adriah,” Tomas said on one of their dinner maybe three weeks after the first one.

“What? Why?” Inunaki laughingly asked, buzzed from a few cups of sake he wasn’t supposed to be drinking.

“I’m still not used to being called Tomas you know… more than a year here in Japan and I’m still feeling like a different person than I was before,” Tomas reflected, leaning back against the wall opposite of the libero. He’s had a few cups to drink too, which is maybe why they’re straying from the previous conversation of teams he hated to play against.

“What, like not being in another country alone isn’t enough to change you?” Inunaki challenged, pointing at Tomas’ head.

“No, yeah, I get that, but it’s something else. I’ve been to other countries before too, but I always had a sense of self, you know?” Tomas defended.

“I don’t, actually,” Inunaki answered, rolling his eyes.

“Well how about I start calling you Shion and let’s see how you like it?” Tomas shot back, grinning at him.

Inunaki almost dropped the cup that was in his hand that was still pointing at Tomas. It would be fitting too, to match the sinking feeling in his stomach. He just realized what the disappointment he’d been feeling throughout all these dinners was about—he wanted it to be more than that. Hearing his first name fall from Tomas—Adriah’s lips ignited the longing in him for this to be something _more,_ and all he could do was gulp and try not to let the other man read him.

“I m-mean, you can, but I don’t think it’ll change anything,” Inunaki answered, because as much as he wanted the taller man to _not_ do that, hearing his name fall from those lips was a need.

~~~

The season came, and Inunaki was somewhat relieved and disappointed by it in equal measure. On one hand, their dinners were over, which was a relief on his blood pressure, but on the other, _their dinners were over._ Inunaki wouldn’t see the other one-on-one anymore; he wouldn’t see his eyes glaze over just a little bit due to alcohol, how even then he was as attentive and engaging as ever; he wouldn’t see Tomas as _he_ only saw him—not the happy go lucky, always pleasant middle blocker he was with the team, but the softened version of that, feeling free to open up some of his insecurities only to the libero.

He blamed it all on Tomas for the duration of that first season. The taller man never seemed to change the way he interacted with everyone, which made Inunaki feel special, but it never went more than that. It was only _Shion,_ only bright smiles that seemed the same for everyone, only team camaraderie.

Inunaki blamed the Tomas for his feelings that first season, but what happened after that was both their faults.

* * *

It wasn’t a surprise that they got invited into the national team after Inunaki’s first season. They were already a first division V. league team, and Tomas and Barnes had been invited before; it was almost natural for Inunaki to be drafted as well.

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna be the same way you were when you first joined the Jackals, Shion,” Tomas told him when he saw him early in the training gym that first week.

“Like you’re not here earlier than usual, Adriah?” Inunaki shot back, grinning when the other man appeared to be flustered.

“Y-Yeah, but I know when to stop. You don’t,” Tomas replied, and he clapped Inunaki on the shoulder on his way to the lockers, “But that’s okay. That’s what I’m here for, right?”

 _Man, fuck you,_ Inunaki almost blurted, but Tomas was disappeared too quickly for him to say.

~~~

They went to Rio a month after that, and played their best. It was odd for Inunaki, to say the least—being in a whole other country carrying his country’s name on his back for the first time. It was a lot of pressure, but the pressure came easier to him than dealing with the fact that Tomas seemed to change. He hadn’t been to the Olympics yet, either, but he _had_ gone to other countries and played other international teams, so it was easier for him to adjust.

Hearing other people call the middle blocker Adriah, hearing him speak straight English without an accent, seeing him bump shoulders and clap backs with other players—it was all so familiar, and yet not, at the same time. It pissed him off more than he cared to admit.

“Having too much fun in the Village, I see,” Inunaki muttered at him after their last game, trooping back to the building reserved for the men’s volleyball teams.

“It’s fun. I have a lot of fun in it,” Tomas nodded, but not at him. He seemed distracted, which just pissed off the libero more.

“Mhm. Must be a lot of fun when you know a lot of people here. Bet you get a lot of offers, huh?” Inunaki asked with a grin he thought was teasing, but Tomas saw through it to the bitterness underneath.

“What’s gotten into you? Did I do something?” Tomas asked him straight out, smacking the back of a hand to Inunaki’s shoulder so he’d stop walking and face the taller man.

“What are you talking about?” Inunaki scoffed, “Nothing’s gotten into me,” he added, said in a way that should’ve been enough to throw anyone else off-track, but again he failed to consider in the fact that Tomas _knew_ him better than anyone else he’s known at that point. The middle blocker only narrowed his eyes, looking pissed off for the first time in the couple of years Inunaki’s known him.

“Is that the problem then? No one’s gotten into you the past week?” Tomas asked, and Inunaki spluttered, looking up at the other to see hungry eyes directed at him.

“W-What the hell are you saying, huh?” Inunaki tried to ask, but Tomas only pushed him against the wall behind his back, and put up a hand so he wouldn’t get away—kabedon style.

 _What the fuck,_ Inunaki was internally screaming.

“You’ve been so pissy this past week, but I just ignored it because I thought this whole being in the village was stressing you out, but you’ve been so pissy _at me._ So what gives, Shion? What did I do that was so bad it got your panties in a twist like this?” Tomas murmured, each word hitting Inunaki with the sheer disbelief that they were coming out of sweet Tomas’ mouth—which was getting dangerously close to his ear.

“I keep telling you, you didn’t do anything. Geez, what the hell’s gotten into you, huh, Adriah? You aren’t like this,” Inunaki finally answered after three tries to get his throat working.

“So is that what’s bothering you? Not used to seeing me like this, Shion? What, you think I got my kid through smiling?” Tomas continued, eyes trained on him and Inunaki got the distinct feeling that he was trapped.

“No, I just—” he started, but he was cut off.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Tomas asked in realization, his stare turning dark as he took in Inunaki’s blush and inability to speak up for himself like he was known to do, “You’re pissed _I_ didn’t do anything,” he said after a while, a grin slowly forming on his face.

“What gave you that impression?” Inunaki threw back in his face, now getting pissed at how easily he was read by the middle blocker.

“Oh? This isn’t enough proof?” Tomas reached down and palmed him with his other hand, smirking when Inunaki bit his lips—he was already half hard.

“Fuck you,” Inunaki bit out, moving to push the taller man aside to get away, but he was quickly pushed back with a hand to his shoulder.

“I got a better idea,” Tomas whispered it directly to his ear, massaging his dick through the sport shorts he was wearing, “How about I fuck it out of you instead?”

Instead of answering, Inunaki reached up and pulled the taller down to him in a savage kiss, pouring all the frustration and anger he felt the past week into it, but all he got in return was Tomas laughing into the kiss, _at him._ It only served to anger the libero more, and he pushed the middle blocker away from his lips, pulling his head down by the hair to snarl at him.

“You don’t get to fuck me,” Inunaki said, his face ugly with a frown and downturned eyes, “You only get to make up to me.”

“Lead the way,” Tomas agreed readily, a small smile still hovering over his lips.

~~~

 _What the hell am I doing?_ Inunaki thought to himself, afterwards.

They were in his shared room with someone who was never there at night, so Inunaki thought it would be the best place for him to take out his anger on the middle blocker.

“Have you got it out of your system yet?” Tomas asked behind him, having just gotten out of the shower.

“Didn’t think you were into guys,” Inunaki said in lieu of an answer.

“Is that what got you into gremlin mode?” Tomas asked again.

“What?” Inunaki laughed, looking behind him at the taller man—only to see that he went out of the bathroom naked and unbothered.

“Gremlin mode, you know when you’re just done with everyone it makes you so fucking pissy,” Tomas explained, giving his hair a final tussle of the towel before throwing it back into the bathroom and let his body fall on the bed next to where the libero was sitting up.

“I do _not_ have a gremlin mode,” Inunaki scoffed, pushing a leg away.

“Sure you do, it’s happened to everyone on the team by now,” Tomas returned, uncaring as he pulled the shorter man down next to him before wrapping his arms around Inunaki.

“What the hell are you doing?” Inunaki demanded, thankful that the lights were off to hide the blush that he was sure was making his face red.

“Too far to my room, plus I always get cold during this time of year. Need someone to sleep with,” Tomas answered shortly, burying his face in Inunaki’s still wet hair.

“Dude,” was all Inunaki said, his throat closing up at the casual intimacy.

“Don’t overthink it, Shion. Wanna know why I pushed you?” Tomas asked flippantly, and now the blonde was curious.

“Why?” Inunaki eyed him, but Tomas had his eyes closed and half his face still buried in his hair.

“You never went gremlin mode _on me,_ ” Tomas said, and it seemed like there was a bit of hesitancy there in his voice now too, but maybe that was just Inunaki’s wishful thinking?

 _Man, the Village really is something else,_ he thought to himself, shaking his head.

“What does that have to do with anything? I always bounced back, right?” Inunaki questioned, and he could feel himself getting lethargic from the days’ matches and more recent events, not to mention Tomas’ arm was a comforting weight on his waist.

“Hmm maybe so, but I still wanted to make you feel better,” Tomas hummed, tightening his hold on the shorter man.

They went quiet then, Tomas falling asleep in record time, but Inunaki still struggled against the pull of sleep, thinking about the past two hours.

 _What the fuck is he doing to me?_ His mind kept asking.

He’s known Tomas for two and a half years now, and this was the first time he’s ever seen the taller man behave that way. The way he’s interacted with everyone in the Olympic Village was strange enough, but this was too much.

Inunaki thought he’d known all there was to know about the middle blocker, from the time he started pro volleyball to the now with a son, and not once has he thought he was even into men. Now that he did, though—and how he _did_ —it was almost too much.

Tomas shifted, and with it brought Inunaki to the fresh awareness that he was in bed with the person he’d been crushing on for the past two years, had done the things he wanted to do to his teammate whenever he let himself fantasize at night. Tomas stretched back, pulling Inunaki up along with him, and the action was enough to trigger another wave of yearning in him. He _wanted_ too much, now, even if it was confusing and terrifying—the circumstances now was unique, and he didn’t know whether or not he wanted things to change or stay the same when they go back to their regular lives. He got a taste, and now he didn’t know what to do with it.

 _What the fuck am I gonna do now?_ Was the last thought he had before sleep pulled him under.

* * *

“That was a good season, Shion,” Tomas told him just before they went on vacation.

“I wouldn’t know, it was my first,” Inunaki answered with a grin, looking back at him and contemplating a question, “So does this mean our dinners are over?” he asked quickly before he lost the nerve.

“What?” Tomas asked with a laugh, strolling closer to the libero. He had his hands in his pockets, and Inunaki thought it was entirely unfair for him to look so good in a simple t-shirt and shorts combo.

“I take it you’re free of the babysitting duties,” Inunaki tried again, this time successfully thinking up of a better conversation starter, or at least he thought.

“Babysitting?” Tomas was visibly confused, and Inunaki sighed to himself, clutching the handle of his luggage tighter in preparation of embarrassing himself in front of the middle blocker.

“I was just asking if I’d be seeing you less now, you know, because the season’s over and your babysitting duties are done?” Inunaki asked pointedly, feeling the tips of his burn even as he kept his eyes on the taller man.

“Hmm, I guess that is true, huh? Sorry, you say babysitting and my mind just immediately goes to my son,” Tomas answered, smiling as if he didn’t drop a bomb, at least to Inunaki.

“S-son?” he stuttered, barely passing the bar for curiosity instead of, say, disappointment or disquiet.

“Yeah? My son, I guess you haven’t seen him, but I thought I talked about him a bunch?” Tomas reached him now, and he pulled a wallet from his back pocket to take out a picture and hand it to the shorter man. “His name’s Narvi, and he’s back in Tokyo waiting for me,” the middle blocker added with a fond smile.

“What kind of name’s that?” Inunaki asked as he took the picture, and _oh,_ _the kid looked just like his dad._

“His mother chose that. It means inattentive, because when he was a baby he’d never notice anyone but food and toys,” Tomas explained, and _oh, that smile was something else entirely._

“How old is he now?” Inunaki followed up, and even if he’d never had an interest in children beyond that of a normal person’s, he’d ask a million questions about this one solely because he was Tomas’ kid.

“He’s three, and he’s already chosen volleyball,” Tomas answered proudly, and for once Inunaki had a fitting response—he snorted.

“Yeah, because the choices of a three-year-old sticks with them when they grow up,” Inunaki said sarcastically, handing back the photo.

“D’you wanna babysit sometimes? I know you’re in Tokyo too,” Tomas asked before he could turn back.

“I have no idea how to take care of a kid, Adriah. I can’t believe you’d even ask me that,” Inunaki said, never thinking he’d be cursing that fact but—here he was.

“Well wouldn’t now be the time you learn?” Tomas challenged, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Deal. But just so you know, you just signed your son up for some experimentation care of Uncle Shion’s Daycare,” Inunaki readily agreed, and he was rewarded by Tomas’ booming laugh.

“Look at you! You think I’d leave you alone with my kid the first go-around?” Tomas clapped him on the shoulder before pushing him towards his taxi. “I’ll send you my address and we can talk about a date?” he asked just as Inunaki got inside.

“Sound good! See you around, you giant!” Inunaki waved, and the cab moved, shaking his head at himself.

 _What the fuck do I know about taking a kid? I should just leave him alone if he has a kid and a wife,_ Inunaki scolded, but well, he had already given up and admitted his weakness for the middle blocker the minute he heard his name in Tomas’ voice, so what else could he do?

~~~

Inunaki was not a coward.

He liked to think of himself as considerate of his teammates—aloof and playful to their face, caring and looking out for them behind their backs—which is why he never did anything about his newly realized feelings for their foreign middle blocker. He wouldn’t have put his teammate in that awkward position, especially since he now knew Tomas had a kid, and most probably a wife. It was not because he was too scared to actually confirm if he had a wife or too scared to even think about having a crush on him.

Not at all.

Or so he told himself, up until it got confirmed for him that not only was Tomas single, but he was into guys, as well.

“You’re just a coward, Wan-san,” Sakusa told him in that no-nonsense way of his when he found out.

“Yeah? So what are you?” Inunaki scowled at him. Damn monster generation thinking they’re all that.

“I’m… less of a coward than you are, at least. I wasn’t the one who thought my crush was straight just because he had a kid—who, might I add, didn’t even marry the mother of said kid—so I just pined for a year and a half only to sleep with him in the Olympic Village and then _still_ not talk to him afterward,” Sakusa pointed out, smirking afterward.

“Not yet,” Inunaki smirked back, even though he knew it was an empty promise.

“Atsumu’s dated a man before,” was all Sakusa replied.

“What the hell are we doing here again? Did you just invite me to lunch to rip into me? Because trust me, I do that enough to myself, thanks,” Inunaki interrupted was he was so sure to be ribbing, each word getting more heated until he was breathing hard.

“No, I invited you out here to make a bet,” Sakusa said evenly, though Inunaki could tell it was taking his all to manage it.

“What?” Inunaki was dumbstruck. Here was his teammate, known as the terror for the Quatro and known as the most reliable one to the older members… proposing a bet?

“Do you not know what a bet is?” Sakusa raised an eyebrow at him.

“No, I fucking know what a bet is. What’s gotten into you?” Inunaki scowled at him again, eyeing the usually impassive wing spiker, who only sighed _._

“Because I have no idea what to do anymore. I know you have a thing for Tomas—” Sakusa started.

“Cut the shit, how the fuck do you know?” Inunaki interrupted, which only got him an eye roll. Seriously, this kid was taking his place as the team’s resident emo.

“Seriously?” Sakusa leveled him with his most unimpressed expression.

“You think I’m not serious?” Inunaki challenged.

“The whole team knows, even Atsumu, the oblivious fucking idiot,” Sakusa answered, muttering the last part to himself.

“…Including Tomas?” the libero was disheartened at the news.

“You are hopeless,” Sakusa said, sighing again.

“Get to the point, Omi,” Inunaki warned, glaring.

“Tomas doesn’t know. If he did then the both of you are royally screwed, but luckily for me, you have a chance,” Sakusa started again.

“Luckily for you?” Inunaki questioned, cocking an elbow on the table.

“Will you please stop interrupting me?” Sakusa scolded, looking high-strung.

“Fine, go ahead,” came the answer.

“I am proposing a bet, between the two of us. You go talk to Tomas, _finally,_ and I’ll go talk to Atsumu,” Sakusa said, all in one breath without looking at the libero.

“What kind of bet is that?” Inunaki laughed out, slapping the table, “Call it what it is and say a cowards’ pact!”

“Fine.” Sakusa told him around grinding teeth. “Will you do this with me?”

“Hell no!” Inunaki was still laughing, pointing at the increasingly incredulous stare of his teammate.

“B-But,” Sakusa tried to come up with a reply, but Inunaki only shook his head.

“If that’s all you’re here to ask, I already answered. Now excuse me, I got a kid to babysit soon,” the libero stood up, leaving a few bills on the table and walking out of the diner.

He sighed out his laughter as he walked, shaking his head at himself.

 _That’s too big a risk now to take,_ he thought to himself, _This was enough._

* * *

“I feel like my kid just won his first match, and Narvi’s not even on a team yet,” Tomas said from beside him as they he waved at the bus that would take their younger members to the gym in Tokyo where the national team would be training.

“I’m pretty sure that’s gonna be worse for you,” Inunaki told him with a grin.

“Can’t believe Sakusa and Atsumu got together this fast, though. Thought they’d be pining forever,” Tomas said idly, not seeing the dubious look Inunaki was shooting him.

“You knew those two had a thing for each other?” Inunaki asked slowly, the world shrinking in until it was only the two of them and the rising anger in his chest.

“Hmm? Of course! I saw it right from the start, you know, It was so obvious. Why do you ask?” Finally Tomas turned to him, seeing the wide, seething eyes of the libero, “What’s wrong, Shion?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?! Don’t you fucking ask me what’s wrong! You’re telling me that you’ve seen those two idiots making eyes at each other right from the start, and yet you’ve said nothing _about us?_ ” Inunaki screamed at him, pointing up at his face when Tomas held his hands up and backed away.

“Whoa, hey, relax for a moment here, Shion. What about us?” Tomas questioned, his brows furrowing in concern for the shorter man.

“Don’t you fucking tell me to relax! I’ve been in love with you for the past two fucking years!” Inunaki told him—and then it was like he crumpled.

His shoulders fell, and he thumped his forehead and a fist on Tomas’ chest.

“I’ve been in love with you, and all this time you never said anything,” he whispered.

“What?” Tomas whispered above him, and Inunaki peeked up to see the middle blocker’s shocked expression. “What did you say?”

“You fucking heard me,” Inunaki said, straightening up. His mind was just catching up to what he did, and now all he wanted to do was run, “But it’s fine. You don’t have to do anything about it. I hope this doesn’t change anything between us,” he added, turning to walk away.

“Wait,” and here Tomas took hold of a wrist, his hand shaking, “What if I want to do something about it?”

“What?” Inunaki asked sharply, looking over his shoulder—and seeing Tomas smile at him, this uncertain but hopeful smile that got him hoping now too.

“You should’ve said something,” Tomas pulled him closer, leaning down so that they were face to face, “I thought it was just me.”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” was Inunaki’s last attempt at saving face, scowling at the taller man, but Tomas just laughed at him.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said.

And then they did.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, pls come scream at me on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/yadoiAnghel) I'd love to hear what you thought.


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